The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
McCall calls on squad to attack their way to joy
Scotland can rise up and become historymaking heroes by attacking Euro 2020, insists legend Stuart McCall.
Steve Clarke’s Scots will end a 23-year finals absence when facing Czech Republic in their Group D opener at Hampden on Monday.
McCall, 57, holds the distinction of having played in every Scotland game at Euro finals – six in total at Euro 92 and 96.
Scotland have never progressed beyond the group stages of a tournament finals but McCall is confident that unwanted record can change this month.
Despite a formidable group consisting of Euro 2020 favourites England and Croatia, the beaten World Cup 2018 finalists, the talk from the Scots’ camp in the build-up to the tournament has reasserted McCall’s belief that Clarke’s squad can overturn the odds to progress.
McCall said: “If you hear the soundbites coming from the Scotland dressing room there is a real belief in one another from the players.
“You just look at how we managed to get to the Euros, by going over to Serbia and getting the result that we needed.
“There’s got to be that sense of daring to believe and going for it.
“I think Steve Clarke has set the right tone because you can’t be shouting from the rooftops about doing this or that, but you don’t want to have negativity saying it’s a tough group.
“It’s a group where he’ll be saying go into one game at a time, be positive and also look around the dressing room at who you are playing with.
“We have a chance.” The potential to progress from the groups for the first time has been enhanced at Euro 2020 as the top four third-placed sides also go through.
Scotland will hope to have already entered the tournament with a bang against the Czechs before arguably their toughest test, England at Wembley on Friday evening.
Manchester City star Phil Foden unveiled a bleached blond hairstyle this week reminiscent of Paul Gascoigne’s at Euro 96.
Gazza was the orchestrator of Scotland’s downfall at Euro 96, when the Scots lost 2-0 at Wembley – a game McCall started.
When asked about England not having a talismanic world class star like Gascoigne at this tournament, McCall said: “There are one or two of them getting near.
“I have been so impressed with Foden and I love watching him and Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City. Raheem Sterling was the main man not so long ago but he is not getting a game because Foden is playing in that position.
“It all comes down to having that confidence and belief against England and on the day.”
England boss Gareth Southgate has a wealth of Premier League superstars like Foden to call upon from his 26-man squad.
However, McCall points to the Scots also operating at a high level in the English top flight who all finished their domestic campaign strongly – captain Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Scott McTominay (Manchester United), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) and Che Adams (Southampton).
He said: “Andy Robertson will be going into the Euros confident, because although Liverpool had a little dip, they finished the season fantastically and he was a major part of that.
“If Liverpool had finished sixth and finished outside of it, not really done much, he might have been down a little bit.
“But he’s on a high which is the same with John McGinn.
“Scott McTominay has gone and made that central midfield role his own.
“You have a swagger when your confidence is high and that should be the case with these four lads.
“When Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is picking his best team, McTominay is always in the middle of the park for them.
“You also have Kieran Tierney with Arsenal so there’s players in that Scotland squad who are feeling good about themselves.
“I watch McTominay and, while I don’t want to put everything on just these four players, he does have a swagger about him. No doubt. I watch McGinn and he’s taking the ball off top players, going high up, having shots at goal without fear.
“You have a swagger when your confidence is high and that should be the case with these four lads.
“Lyndon Dykes is scoring, Che Adams had a good little run there at the end too. These are all confident people.”
There will be 22,500 fans at Wembley for Friday’s Group D clash, 25% of the stadium’s capacity.
A 2,600-strong travelling Tartan Army will be inside Wembley cheering on the Scots.
They may be smaller in numbers than at Euro 96 due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, but McCall is confident the Scottish fans will be just as vocal.
He said: “In 96 there were 7,000 Scots at Wembley, although it sounded like 70,000.
“When we go there this time, there will be 2,600 and I am sure that will sound like many more. The support will have a big part to play. Scotland will go in as underdogs, as we did in 1996 but they certainly have a chance.”
Scotland’s Euro 96 match against England at Wembley was heartbreaking proof of how tournaments can hinge on the smallest of margins as Craig Brown’s squad lurched from ecstasy to agony in a few moments.
The Scots suffered a cruel fate as the prospect of a famous result was within their grasp, only to have it evaporate through both misfortune and magic – a combination of David Seaman’s elbow and Paul Gascoigne’s genius.
It was a measure of Scotland’s strong performance in the opening 45 minutes that at halftime England boss Terry Venables was forced into a change.
To solve England’s inability to dominate possession in midfield,
Venables introduced Jamie Redknapp at halftime. Just eight minutes into the second half Redknapp was involved in the move that resulted in Gary Neville crossing for Alan Shearer to open the scoring with a header.
Scotland would not buckle and McCall’s cross found Gordon Durie, but the attacker was bundled over by Tony Adams for a penalty.
Gary McAllister’s spotkick struck the elbow of diving keeper Seaman.
Before the Scots could draw breath, England had broken upfield and Gascoigne flicked an audacious lob over the head of Colin Hendry with his left before volleying in with his right to make it 2-0. McCall said: “Not only do you need that confidence and belief against England – you also need that wee bit of luck as well.
“Just look at that penalty – it was not a soft penalty as Gary hit it decent. Seaman went with his right hand but saved it with his left elbow. That was that little bit of luck you need.”
McCall was famously picked for England and Scotland Under-21 sides on the same day in 1984, and chose to play for England against Turkey.
However, he did not take to the field that day and would subsequently commit to Scotland where he would become a legend, earning 40 caps.
Not only did McCall play in all six games at Euro 92 and 96, he also played in the three matches at the World Cup in 1990. He said: “My proudest thing is to play in every game in Italia 90, Euro 92 and Euro 96 so that is nine games.
“When I look back at all the great players we had I was very proud and fortunate to do that. We had some good games, some bad ones and some memorable ones.”
Former Rangers, Everton and Bradford midfielder McCall scored just once for Scotland – and it was on the biggest stage of all, the World Cup in 1990.
Not for him the “Mickey Mouse” qualifiers or friendlies – he rattled home a goal when it mattered most as the Scots battled back from the humiliation of losing the Italia 90 opener 1-0 to lowly Costa Rica.
McCall netted the opener in the next game at Italia 90 – a 2-1 defeat of Sweden. McCall, who was also assistant coach to Gordon Strachan while the Gothenburg Great was Scotland boss, reckons if he can score at a major tournament, it gives hopes to every outfield player in Clarke’s squad. He explained: “If I can score at a World Cup there is a chance for anyone. It was my only goal in 40 caps and was a great feeling.
“As I said to my kids if you score in a World Cup you don’t want to bother about these Mickey Mouse tournament qualifiers against nations like San Marino.
“The biggest thing was to see the Tartan Army after that win against Sweden. How much we had let the country and nation down, not just the Tartan Army, by losing to Costa Rica. We had to go and beat Sweden – it was a must.”